The U.S. healthcare
system is an enormously complex, trillion-dollar industry. It includes
thousands of hospitals, nursing homes, specialized care facilities, independent
practices and partnerships, web-based and IT supported service companies,
managed care organizations, and major manufacturing corporations. Healthcare is
the fastest growing component of many consulting practices and investment
portfolios. In dollar terms, it accounts for over 18% of GDP and is larger than
the total economy of Italy. It continues to grow in size and complexity,
complicating the long-standing problems of increasing costs, limited consumer
access, and inconsistent quality. And, the historic Affordable Care Act will have
major implications for years to come. This tremendous dynamism is
unmatched by any other industry and offers incredible opportunities for new
business endeavors.

This course will provide
an overview of the fast-evolving U.S. healthcare industry, the major players
involved in the production and delivery of healthcare, and the key challenges
and opportunities presented by new technologies, financing mechanisms,
business models, and the political and regulatory developments engendered by
recent legislation.

Cain Brothers & Company Professor of Healthcare Management in the Faculty of Business

Professor Green earned her doctorate in Operations Research from Yale University. Her research, which has focused on the development and application of mathematical models of service systems, has resulted in dozens of publications in the premier technical journals such as Operations Research and Management Science as well as prominent healthcare journals such as Health Services Research, Inquiry and Academic...